She also commended the company for having effected positive change in the lives of residents of communities in which it operates through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

Mrs. Akufo-Addo made the statement when she joined some senior staff of Goldfields West Africa, some government officials and traditional leaders of Prestea Huni Valley and Tarkwa Nsuem in the Western Region to commission the new Huni Valley Health Centre.

The centre, which serves the people in the Prestea–Huni Valley and Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipalities was renovated and refurbished with modern medical equipment by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation as part of its CSR activities.

In a brief speech to commission the project, Mrs. Akufo-Addo commended Gold Fields on the many completed and on-going projects it had undertaken in its host communities including the construction of the New Atuabo Clinic and nurses' quarters.

Others are, the maternity block and nurses' quarters at the Tarkwa Government Hospital as well as Gold Fields Ghana Foundation's investment in education, water and sanitation as well as some livelihood enhancement programmes in the host communities.

She expressed her particular delight at Gold Fields decision to turn their corporate social responsibility activity on the health of the people especially women and children.

As a committed and passionate champion for the health of Ghanaians especially women and children, "Am happy to be associated with any project that seeks to ensure a healthy population," she said.

She said the Rebecca Foundation, which she chairs, was established in 2017 to support government's efforts to improve health care for women and children, as well as economic empowerment for women.

The Foundation, she explained  had over the period, established strategic partnerships with the private sector, governmental agencies and development partners, to help address critical issues affecting                               women and children.

The Foundation has also impacted so many lives across the country through projects, such as the construction of the Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and many others.

The first lady expressed optimism that as the CSR focus of Gold Fields aligned with that of the Rebecca Foundation, there was an opportunity for a partnership between the two bodies to address key issues on health, education and economic empowerment for women in the two municipalities of Prestea Huni-Valley and Tarkwa-Nsuaem.

She urged other corporate bodies to emulate the example of Gold Fields Ghana by identifying some needs of their host communities and pooling resources to assist in their provision stating that, "national development does not rest with the government alone. We must all play our part towards a healthy and prosperous nation".

In a related development, the First Lady also took some time to visit the Damang market centre where she interacted with traders on several social and economic issues of common interest.